Controller for motor-driven valves and other devices.



P. P. DEAN.

CONTROLLER FOR MOTOR DRIVEN VALVES AND OTHER DEVICES. APPLICATION FILED SEP T. I4, [916.

1 295 5; Patented Feb. 25, 1919. 3 J 7 so 1 33 32 a1 f :EQ: 5 7. .'7- 12 FL, -1 l g 11 1O ii s: 8 8

ATTORN Y PETER P. DEAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CONTROLLER FOR MOTOR-DRIVEN VALVES AND OTHER DEVICES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25, 1919.

Application filed September 14, 1916. Serial No. 129,011.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, PETER P. DEAN, a subj ect of the King of England, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Controllers for Motor- Driven Valves and other Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and

exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to contrplling means for motor driven valves and other devices.

In my prior application, Serial No. 114,539, filed August 12, 1916, there is dlsclosed a motor driving mechanism for valves and other devices wherein means are provided to enable substantially instantaneous disconnection of the driving and driven members at predetermined limits of movement of the latter. Such means include limit means operable in unison with the driven member and said mechanism is particularly advantageous where it is desired to positively operate the valve or other device to its limits without amming'. On the other hand, as in the case of ammonia valves, it is desired to provide for a substantial jamming action at the limits of movement of the driven part and the present invention has 'among its objects to modify the'mechanism above described to maintain the positive drive of the driven device until the parts of the latter are jammed to the desired degree and to thereupon substantially instantaneously release the device from its driving member.

A further object is to provide means for timing the release of the driven member from the driving member by the current conditions in the circuit of the driving motor whereby such release may be efiected upon a predetermined electrical overload on the motor.

A further object is .to provide means insuring against undesired response of the releasing means upon initiation of the movement of the driven part away from its limits, due to the jammed relation of the parts.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear.

The accompanying drawing illustrates one embodiment of the invention which will now be described, it being understood that the invention is susceptible of various modifications falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Briefly described, the single view of the drawing shows partially in elevation and partially in section, a motor driving mechanism 11 which, except for the releasing means, is identical with the driving mechanism disclosed in my copending application, aforesaid, and further shows partially in section a control station 2 for the motor driving mechanism, together with circuit connections between said control station and said mechanism.

The driving mechanism comprises a small high speed motor 3 driving through suitable gears (not shown) a member carrying a plurality of planet pinions 4 meshing with a pinion 5 fixed to a driven shaft 6 and also meshing with an internally toothed revoluble ring '7. The shaft 6 is adapted to be connected to the valve or other device to be driven and as will be understood, drive of said shaft by the motor is dependent upon restraint of the ring 7. Thus with the ring restrained to eflect'drive of the shaft 6, said shaft may be substantially instantaneously released from the motor for stopping of the former by mere release of the ring. As in the former mechanism the ring 7 is provided with a peripheral groove 8 in which is arranged a block 9 to cotiperate with a suitable pawl 10 adapted to be projected into and withdrawn from said roove.

In the present instance t e pawl 10 is reciprocable and fixed to the plunger 11 of a solenoid 12. The solenoid has a fixed plug 13 and the plunger 11 has seated therein a coil spring 14 bearing against a stop 13 threaded through said plug 13, such that the spring tends to force the plunger 11 downwardly. Thus the pawl is biased to locking position and retractable therefrom by the solenoid 12 when energized, said solenoid being designed for inclusion in the motor circuit and for response only upon a predetermined overload in said circuit.

The solenoid 12 is also utilized upon responding to interrupt'the motor circuit and to this end the same has associated there- The control station 2 comprises a base 20 having mounted thereon a circuit breaker includin an electromagnet 21, an armature 22 there or constituting a contact arm and a fixed contact post 23 to be engaged by said arm. The arm 22 has a trunnion bearing 24 on a bracket 25 fixed to the base and has its free end connected by a spring 26 to a lug 27 fixed to the base whereby it is biased away from the electromagnet 21 and out of engagement with contact post 23. The electromagnet 21 serves only as a retaining means for the arm 22 which must be manually set in circuit closing position against the action of the spring 26, by a push button 28. The push button 28 is reciprocably supported by an inclosing casing 30 and has an extension 31 projecting through the arm 22 and carrying a contact 32 to bridge contact clips 33 and 34 fixed to the base 20. Further the extension carries a coil spring 35 affording a lost motion connection between the push button and the arm 22 whereby with the latter released depression of said push buttonwill engage contact 32 with contacts 33 and 34 prior to setting said arm incircuit closing position. Also, the arrangement is such' that after setting of the arm in circuit closing position and after release of the push button, the spring 35 bearing against the arm will retract the contact 32 from the contacts 33 and 34. The control station also includes a push button 36 adapted| to be projected against the tail of arm 22 to thereby forcibly release the same from the holding electromagnet 21.

The push buttons 28 and 36 respectively provide for starting and stopping of the motor and anindicating lamp 41 is inc losed within the casing 30 to indicate the condition of the motor. Also, as will appear, the push button 28, through its contact 32, controls a shunt around the overload "solenoid 12.

Referring to the diagram of connections, the motor 3 is of the series type being provided with an armature a and field windings f to be supplied with current frim lines L, L. Said motor is reversible by reversal of the flow of current through its armature and is provided with a conventional double throw, double pole reversing switch 42 preferably having means to bias the same to one extreme position.

With the reversing switch 42 in the position illustrated, depression of the push button 28 will complete circuit from \line L to contact 23, through contact arm 22 and bracket 25 to and through the winding of electromagnet 21, by conductor 43 through the upper pole of switch 42, by conductor 44 through the motor armature a, by conductor 45 to and through the lower pole of switch 42, by conductor 46 to contact 33,

thence through contact 32 to contact 34, by conductors 47 and 48 through the motor field windings f to line L.

Such connections will start the motor 3 with the solenoid 12 deenergi'zed thereby insuring projection of the pawl into locking position. And, assuming that starting of the motor as described will tend to rotate the ring 9 clockwise, it will be observed that said ring will be allowed a substantially complete revolution prior to restraint by the pawl 10 and will in consequence initiate the rotation of the driven shaft with a hammer like blow. Then assuming retention of the push button 28 to bridge contacts 33 and 34 for maintaining the short-circuit around solenoid 12, continued establishment of the driving connection will be insured irrespective of the jammed relation of the driven part and consequent increase in load upon the motor. On the other hand, assuming the driven device to be started and the push button 28 to be released, solenoid '12 will be.

included in the motor circuit, then traceable from switch 42 by conductor 49 through switch 1516 and through the solenoid winding 12 to the motor field windings. The solenoid, however, being designed to respond only to an overload .in the motor circuit, the same will remain inert until the driven device jams at its limit or its movement is otherwise obstructed, whereupon according to its calibration, said solenoid will respond to retract the pawl 10 thereby substantially instantaneously interrupting the driving connections. Also, said solenoid will thereupon open said switch and thereby interrupt the motor circuit. Incidentally it will effect its own deenergization but in the meantime interruption of the motor circuit will have resulted in deenergization of the electromagnet 21 and consequent tripping of the circuit breaker. And the circuit breaker in opening will have included in the motor circuit the lamp 41 which is connected in shunt thereto and which is of such a resistance value as to prevent restarting of the motor. However, the inertia of the motor will cause it to continue to rotate for a temporary period and to rotate the ring 7 until the block strikes the returned pawl to impart a final hammer blow to the driven device.

With the switch 42 thrown to its other extreme. position the control means will function as above described but for reverse operation of the driven member and with the motor in operation in either direction depression of the push button 36 will stop the power operation of the motor irrespective of the position of the driven device. As I is apparent, depression of push button 36 will trip the circuit breaker to include the lamp 41 in the motor circuit with the result above stated.

-As has been stated, the lamp 41 will be included in circuit when the circuit breaker or starting switch is open and will be excluded from circuit when said circuit solenoid 12 may be designed to respond at any predetermined overload upon the motor and that the sensitiveness of the solenoid illustrated may be varied by adjustment of the stop 13. As will be apparent, threading of said stop farther into the plug 13 provides for a reduction in the sensitiveness of said solenoid through further compression ofspring 14, while reverse adjustment of said stop provides for an increase in the sensitiveness of said solenoid through reduction of the compression of said spring.

, \Vhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination, driving and driven members, a driving connection therebetween including a pait requiring restraint to render the same effective and means sensitive to variations in the resistance to the drive of said member for normally restraining said part and for effecting substantially instantaneous release thereof under predetermined conditions.

2. In combination, driving and driven members, a driving connection therebetween including a part requiring restraint to render the same effective and means responsive tothe load on said motor for normally restraining said part and for effecting substantially instantaneous release thereof upon apredetermined overload on said motor.

3. In combination, driving and driven members, a driving connection therebetween including a part requiring restraint to render the same effective and electro-responsive means functionally associated with said motor for normally restraining said part and for effecting substantially instantaneous release thereof upon a predetermined increase in the load imposed upon said motor.

4. In combination, driving and driven members, a driving connection therebetween including a part requiring restraint to render the same effective and=electro-responsive means connected in circuit with said motor for normally restraining said part and for quickly releasing the same upon a predetermotor circuit and operate said member of mined increase in the motor current.

5. The combinatlon with a member to be driven, a driving motor and a quickly in- 6. The combination with avmember to be driven, a driving motor and a quickly interruptible driving connection therebetween, of electro responsive means associated with said motor to effect interruption of said driving connection upon the occurrence of a predetermined overload upon said motor, means for starting said motor and means associated .with said starting means to render said electro-responsive means temporarily inert.

7 The combination with a member to be operated, a driving motor and a quickly interruptible driving connection therebetween, of overload means associated with said motor to effect interruption of said driving connection, starting means for said motor, means to render said overload means inefiective and a common operating member for said last two mentioned means.

8. The combination with a member to be operated, a driving motor and a quickly interruptible driving connection therebetween, of overload means associated with said motor to effect interruption of said driving connection, starting means for said motor, shunting means for said overload means and a common manual operating member for said last two mentioned means adapted .when released to effect interruption of the shunt around said overload means.

i). The combination with a member to be driven, a driving motor and a quickly interruptible driving connection therebetween, of

10. The combination with a member to be driven, a driving motor and a quickly. inter ruptible driving connection therebetween, of a stopping device for said motor, an overload relay in circuit with said motor to effect interruption of said driving connection and actuation. of said stopping device under predetermined conditions and means to insure against restarting of said motor upon de'nergization of said relay and return of said device.

11.. The combination with a member .tobe driven, a driving motor, a drivin connection therebetween, including a mem r operable to interrupt and reestablish the same, of an overload device in circuit with said motor and responsive to both interrupt the said driving connection, and a starting and stopping device for said motor biased to stopping position and having means to retain the same in starting position but subject to release upon response of said overload device to insure against restarting of said motor upon return of said overload device to normal position.

12. The combination with a member to be driven, a driving motor, a driving connection therebetween including amember operable to interrupt and reestablish the same, of an overload device in circuit With said motor and responsive to both interrupt the motor circuit and operate said member of said driving connection, and a starting and stopping device for said motor biased to stopping position and having means to retain the 10 same in starting position but subject to release upon response of said overload device to insure against restarting of said motor upon return of said overload device to normal position said starting and stopping device also having means associated therewith to render said overload device unresponsive under predetermined conditions.

In .Witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

1 PETER P. DEAN. 

